What would a Google-branded vehicle be like?
That question has been a subject of fascination in the auto industry since the tech giant's self-driving car project emerged from the science lab and ventured onto Silicon Valley streets in Lexus RXs, Franken-fitted with whirling lidars and sensors.
It has been an especially curious question since the company renamed itself Waymo and hired manufacturing guru John Krafcik as its CEO, leading to speculation that it might want to build its own cars someday.
But that's not the plan.
Waymo does want to be in the auto business, with its own brand, starting with a fleet of autonomous taxis this year. But instead of spending billions on assembly plants and the development of its own vehicles and platforms, Waymo is partnering with automakers to use their cars and trucks to showcase its technology brand and develop a lineup of vehicles.
The brand-building approach takes a page from the old Saleen and Shelby works, tuners and stylists of limited-edition, high-performance vehicles based on Ford Mustangs and pickups. But it's a more democratic version of that concept. The idea is that a Waymo-branded vehicle can be whatever you want it to be: a minivan or a sedan, an EV or an SUV.
"Our ultimate goal is to provide a self-driving vehicle tailored to every trip and to every purpose," Krafcik said during a media event in late March. "We can do this because we're building the driver, and this same driver can be adapted for all kinds of vehicles."
Waymo's partnerships include Fiat Chrysler Automobiles for Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans and Jaguar Land Rover for its upcoming I-Pace electric crossover. More partnerships, according to Krafcik, are being discussed.
These vehicles, Krafcik says, were selected for specific purposes such as new electrical architectures, safety standards and, in regard to the minivans, sliding doors for easy access and control. By working with a large-scale automaker, Krafcik believes the self-driving company can quickly scale the technology.
"This is so important," Krafcik told a small roundtable of reporters after the event. "We're not a car company."
Automakers are expected to potentially supply tens of thousands of vehicles a year for Waymo to use in its upcoming autonomous ride-hailing fleet — scheduled to launch in Phoenix this year and expand from there.
Waymo is expected to begin testing its self-driving technology with the I-Pace this year, followed by production models — up to 20,000 a year — that will begin assembly in 2020.
FCA and JLR have worked with Waymo to integrate its software and hardware, including a large roof-mounted command hub and surrounding sensors, into their vehicles.
Other than the minivan and I-Pace, Waymo has fitted its self-driving tech on a Toyota Prius, Lexus RX 450h, its own Firefly research vehicle and a Peterbilt Class 8 semi truck.
Karl Brauer, executive publisher at Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, believes future partnerships with Waymo could have automakers not just supplying vehicles, but engineering them to integrate with Waymo's systems.
"Car companies will start to go to Waymo on a redesign cycle, 'OK, what do you need us to do to make this easier?' " he said. "If Waymo wants to become Delta to Chrysler's Boeing, that's probably not a bad way to go."
Like Amazon or eBay, Waymo will enjoy the branding benefits of being a pioneer, a first mover in developing and commercializing self-driving technology. But there are risks, especially given the early stage of development and persistent concerns about safety. Among those risks are litigation and legislation that would slow progress for launching autonomous vehicles, particularly after the fatal accident involving an Uber test vehicle. Krafcik has said Waymo's technology likely could have avoided such a crash, but consumers and regulators may not be so easily assured.
The tech giant also has to be mindful of the rate its more well-established competitors are growing or entering the market as it establishes its brand. Some such as Uber and Lyft have built a strong U.S. network of ride-hailing customers and are working on autonomous fleets. And traditional auto companies including General Motors and Ford Motor Co. also plan to launch similar autonomous ride-hailing operations. GM has positioned Cruise as its autonomous-vehicle subbrand.
"There are so many players out there," Brauer said. "It will come down to final execution."